Under the title "Revealing the Cost of Carlos Ghosn's Escape to Lebanon and the Accused Regrets Helping Him Flee," Emirates Today reported that after admitting his actions a few days ago alongside his son, Michael Taylor, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier, told a Tokyo court on Tuesday that he feels remorse for helping Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan, adding that the former Nissan Motor president should have stayed to face trial for financial misconduct.
This statement came after the accused arrived at the court handcuffed, accompanied by his son Peter, and bowed before the three judges who would issue their ruling, asking them to allow him to return to the United States to see his disabled father. He stated, "I am very sorry for my actions and sincerely apologize for causing trouble to the judicial system and the Japanese people." He also answered affirmatively when asked by the prosecutor if he thought Ghosn should have remained in Japan.
It is worth noting that earlier this month, the father admitted guilt for helping Ghosn escape from Kansai Airport in western Japan in December 2019, hiding in a box on a private plane to Lebanon. The U.S. extradited the father and son to Japan in March, and they have remained in the same prison in Tokyo where Ghosn was held, facing up to three years in prison.
In a bizarre operation, prosecutors revealed that Taylor and his son received $1.3 million for their services and an additional $500,000 in legal fees. The two American defendants were charged with helping Ghosn evade punishment by hiding in a box of musical instruments that was taken by a private plane out of Japan in December 2019 for $1.3 million. The prosecution recounted the strange details of the escape to the defendants before saying, "You helped Ghosn to flee," to which they responded affirmatively.
